


Skylands Historia - Duality (Book One)

by trickyNeko



Series: Second Leaf Timeline [1]
Category: Skylanders (Video Games), Skylanders Academy (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Origin Story, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Backstory, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dash of Original Characters, Elemental Magic, Fantasy, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending?, Humor, I know it's not Homestuck but I like the troll romance setup so deal with it, Kaos and Glumshanks are besties, Kaos is a mess, Looking for Critique, Not Canon Compliant, Origin Story, Original Character Death(s), Originally Posted on Wattpad, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Canon, Rewritten Backstory, Series, Setup, Skylanders lore is a shitshow, Tags Are Hard, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, They love each other don't @ me, Troll Romance (Homestuck), Villain PoV, canon compliant to an extent, rewritten canon, rewritten lore, this is my attempt to fix it, villain origin story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28558560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trickyNeko/pseuds/trickyNeko
Summary: What do you do when you hate your school? Blow it up of course. What do you do when you can't take your anger out on real people? Write it all down in your notebook that is DEFINITELY not a diary. What do you do  when your entire life starts crumbling around you and it's probably partially your fault? Do the one thing your mother told you never to do, of course.Become a Portal Master.***Kaos is the middle child of a dysfunctional family. With an mostly absent father, a neglectful mother; an older brother that couldn't care less, and a younger sister that needs all the care in the world, Kaos is the type of teen who seeks attention in any form he can get, good or bad. Which, more often than not, ends up with him in the worst of situations.But anything can be solved with a little help from his faithful troll 'butler', some strategic planning, and just a smidge of untapped ancient power, right? For the sake of the Horvitz family, let's hope so.
Relationships: Kaos/Glumshanks (Skylanders), Kaos/Glumshanks - Moirallegiance (Skylanders), Kaos/Original Character (Skylanders)
Series: Second Leaf Timeline [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092443
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

**S** obbing echoed through the previously silent room, joining the cacophony of howling winds outside. A woman sat up in bed, tears rolling down her defined cheeks, back resting against the headboard. She clutched the body of a small child to her chest. A newborn, far too small for their age, wrapped loosely in a blanket. She looked down at the child’s tiny face, its eyes closed, bloody skin and pale complexion almost sickening to the sight. The woman bit her bottom lip, her copper eyes glossing over with tears once again. The baby wasn't squirming; they weren’t even whimpering. Their chest lay still, no breath escaping their mouth. Just as another sob was about to leave the woman's mouth, her hand was taken by a tall, well built man at her bedside. The look on his face wasn't sorrowful like hers, but one of comforting for his distressed wife. He knelt down, holding her long, slender fingers in his, using the other hand to gently wipe the tears from her face. She tilted her head away, not wanting to meet his gaze.  
“...Why isn't baby brother moving?”  
The woman winced, turning to see a young boy standing at the foot of her bed. He stood on his tiptoes to see over the footboard, little hands grasping at the wood, wide blue eyes staring at his mother intently. The woman held back a whimper, clutching her husband’s hand tighter.  
“Dyscord, darling. Your brother is… just taking a little nap. That’s all.” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. She didn’t want to believe it. Maybe if she didn’t admit it, it wouldn’t be true.  
“When will he wake up?” Discord bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, then moved to climb up onto the bed, only to be dissuaded by his father gently pushing him back. “I wanna see him!”  
The woman bit her lip, tears brimming behind closed eyelids once again. Before she could become lost in her thoughts again, her husband spoke up.  
“Dyscord. Your brother is-”  
Before the man could finish his sentence, the latch on the window snapped like a twig, the shutters swinging open with a loud clang. The storm raging outside rushed through the opening, the torches snuffed out by its reaching fingers. A chill ran up the woman’s spine, a lump forming in her throat. The wailing of the wind outside met her ears and she couldn't help but whisper a silent prayer. She hadn’t praid in years, but it was the only thing she could think to do - as if compelled by an unseen force. A hand caressed her cheek, a familiar feeling, wiping the tears that trickled down. It was only when she heard the window slam shut did she realize it wasn’t her husband cupping her cheek. She watched as he lit the torches once more, bathing the room in a soft, flickering light; then looked to see… no one standing beside her. Though the sensation still lingered. The comforting touch of a warm hand.  
“Mother! Look!”  
The woman blinked, watching as her son climbed up onto the bed, still lost in a daze. With faded she looked to where her son was pointing, down at the form held in her arms. A gasp escaped her mouth. The newborn’s face had scrunched up as they took their first breath, then began to cry. The woman began to shake as she slowly held the child closer to her chest, trying to gather herself, only to break into wails not dissimilar to her son’s.  
“Sweetheart. It’s… it’s a miracle!” She choked out between tears, turning to her husband - the first smile in ages crossing her face. She looked down to the baby in her arms. “My little Kaos…”


	2. The diabolical ways of the deciduous demon outside my window

" **K** AOS!! Get down here! We're going to be late!!"

Early morning sunlight dappled through the smudged windowpane, the chirping of birds mingling with the songs of the warm autumn wind working its way through the cracks. All things given, it seemed like a perfect morning. That assumption, though, was a misplaced one. At least to the young boy in the bed. He opened one eye, took one look at his window, and pulled the blankets over his head with a groan. The light stung his eyes, making him crave for the sweet embrace of dreams once more. Maybe if he just closed his eyes, it would all just fade away-

_Tap tap tap_

He flinched, then peered out from beneath his covers, pulling them down just to the bridge of his nose. _Tap tap tap_. It was back. The warm autumn breeze brought with it that no good tree branch, the warm toned leaves swaying with every tap against the glass. The boy squinted, then laid back down, pulling the blankets tighter around his head. If he just ignored it, the tree wouldn't notice he was there. It would go away, realizing it was a futile attempt to gain his attention. Whatever the tree wanted, he wasn't curious enough to risk finding out.

_Tap tap tap. Tick tick tick._

He covered his ears, he wasn't listening. He didn't have time to deal with the tree _and_ the ticking. There wasn't enough time in the world to deal with both. And yet, here they both were. That itching at the back of his mind, and that incessant tapping against the glass.

_Tap tick tick. Tap tick tick._

Every moment of silence he could have been relishing was filled with those Ancients awful noises. How long has passed? A minute? A moment? He couldn't tell. All he could focus on was that stupid tree.

_Tick tap tick tap tick tap._

In one movement, the boy sat up, throwing his blankets to the ground as forcefully as he could muster, facing the source of his problems.

"For the Ancients' sake, would you shut the f-"

"Kaos!!" The boy screamed as the door was flung open, nearly causing him to fall from his loft, grabbing the pillow in self defense. "Ancients, what is taking you so long?! Mother took Mey to school already, and at this rate you're going to miss the bus! Get dressed and get downstairs!!"

The door was slammed shut just as quickly as it opened, leaving the boy alone in his room. A small room, with walls lined with papers, a soot stained carpet and a desk set beneath the window. The sun bathed everything in a warm light, leaving the still burning candle on its surface obsolete for the time being. Still in shock, clutching his pillow like a weapon, Kaos slowly gathered himself, then climbed down the ladder, still clutching the pillow in his off hand in case he needed to use it. Which he most likely wouldn't. But it never hurt to be prepared. With a huff, he eyed the tree branch one last time, its pesky attempts to grab his attention finally coming to an end. It sat there, perfectly still - aside from the dancing leaves that yearned to be carried away with the fall winds. Oh, how he wished he could join them. For good measure, Kaos threw his pillow at the window, making sure the tree knew who was boss, before venturing over to his closet. His closet was a box. Of course, he had a real closet, set into the wall across from his loft, but he had never bothered to store his clothes in there. No, that was for storing other things. The box did quite nicely for the minimal amount of outfits he owned. Most of which were piled under his loft, waiting to be washed. Kaos half the time forgot they were there, along with some of Mey's clothes that he had borrowed; and some of his brother's that he had… Liberated from languishing beneath his bed with old socks and unfinished homework from grades passed. It was a mystery how Dyscord had ever managed to graduate, Kaos thought as he fished through the unfolded clothes stored within his closet box. Finally, he settled on the same things he always wore, which were sitting to the side of the box. He stumbled back as he pulled on his black sweats, wriggled into his tunic, slipped on his canvas shoes and grabbed a miscellaneous hairbrush he was pretty sure didn't actually belong to him. Kaos pulled the comb through his hair as he scrambled down the stairs, mumbling to himself as he chucked it to the side (Mother or Dyscord would pick it up eventually), grabbed his long coat off its hook, then careened into the kitchen as he put it on. The coat was far too big for him, swallowing his wiry frame whole like some beast made of shadows. Kaos hoped he would someday grow into it, but he had owned it for years now and no such luck had befallen him. Kaos climbed up onto the kitchen counter, eyeing his prize. The cookie tin, his ceremonial breakfast whenever Mother was out of the house. He pulled the lid off, then peered inside - only a few left. Just as Kaos reached his little hand down into the metal tin, Dyscord walked through the back door, tracking mud onto the scuffed tile flooring.

"What do you think you're doing." He spoke, kicking his boots off, never once taking his eyes off Kaos.

"Oh, please. Like you'd tell Mother." Kaos rolled his eyes, sliding the cookie jar back into place, his bounty in hand.

"Maybe I will."

"Then maybe I'll have to tell her who really passed your final exams for you, brother."

The two locked death glares, the only noise being that of the leaky faucet and the occasion chirp of the birds outside. Kaos cracked a smile, Dyscord following.

"Just grab me one too, short stack. Then we've gotta go."

Kaos shoved the cookie into his mouth, then grabbed the tin once more. His face reflected back at him on the polished sides. Big eyes the color of copper, a piggish upturned nose, his cheeks puffed out like an chipsquirrel's, gathering food for the winter. Cookie crumbs mingled with the imperfections that littered his skin, freckles, blemishes, and his birthmarks - mirrored patches of darker skin that clustered around his eyes. They had gotten lighter with age, but they still bugged him sometimes. One little snaggletooth stuck out from the corner of his mouth - an issue that could have been fixed with braces. If he hasn't broken them nearly the day after he got them. The braces hadn't fit his style, but the little fang did. He may not have been the 'peak of perfection', but Kaos didn't mind. It made him unique. It made him… special. Though, that paired with his lackluster height usually ended up with him being at the receiving end of a bullying entourage. 

"You got everything you need, baby brother?"

Kaos shook his head, grabbed two more cookies (one for Dyscord and one for the road), then hopped down from the counter. "Yes, _mother_. I have everything."

Dyscord rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Backpack?"

"At the front door."

"Lunch?"

"Won't be there long enough to need one."

"Catalyst?"

"Harvested it last night."

"Well, aren't you prepared." Dyscord chuckled. "Specimen?"

"Grabbing one in science class." Kaos smirked. "I have it all thought out, Dyscord. Don't worry."

"Well then, what's your plan for when Mother finds out?"

"Who said she'll find out? The only way she would is if _someone_ rats me out." Kaos took a bite from his second cookie, handing the extra to Dyscord as he pushed past into the main hall. The high ceilings and towering walls making him seem even smaller; like an ant in a dollhouse.

"If I'm this deep in, why would I rat you out and risk getting in trouble myself?"

Kaos shrugged, walking backwards so that he could watch Dyscord's movements. "I don't know, brother, but the only variable that could possibly go wrong is _you_. So as long as you play along, everything should be absolutely peachy~" He grinned, then shoved the rest of the cookie into his mouth. It tasted a little old, probably a month or two, but a stale cookie was better than no cookie. And at least Kaos knew that batch hadn't been poisoned. 

Dyscord chuckled dryly, placing the cookie in the little leather satchel that hung at his hip. Kaos knew he'd probably eat it later. Dyscord could never resist a cookie. "Alright, alright, tiny genius. I'll trust you on this. But don't blame me when this plan fails too."

"It won't. Trust me."

Kaos grabbed his backpack off its hook, unzipping it just to triple check its contents. It never hurt to be certain.

"Communicator?"

"Yep."

"You got your diary~?"

Kaos whipped around, glaring. "It's not a diary! It's my journal of doom!!"

Dyscord patted Kaos on the head, ruffling his umber hair, a condescending smile on his lips. "Sure it is, baby brother."

Kaos grumbled under his breath, turning back to his backpack. He shrugged Dyscord off, trying to focus. Sure enough it was all there. Homework, lunchbox, communicator, his 'journal' - everything important was there and accounted for. As Kaos struggled to zip up his backpack once more, his gaze drifted to the portrait that hung above the door. His family, painted in exquisite detail, framed by an intricate wooden frame. Dyscord, with his old ashy blonde hair (Kaos had suggested he dye it neon green since it was a similar level of horrible against his skin tone, but Dyscord had insisted on vibrant silver.) Mey sat on Mother's lap, creasing the dress she had spent all of the previous day ironing to get it absolutely pristine, because she wouldn't sit still. Mother bore her usual scoul, contrasted by Mey's wide grin. If their expressions weren't so different, Mey might have been mistaken for a younger Mother. Father stood to the side of her, behind Dyscord, wearing a similar expression to his wife. Kaos had been surprised he hadn't been absent for that too. Looking down to where he was immortalized in paint, Kaos stood the front - where the painter had instructed him to stand; wearing a matching suit and tie like the rest of his siblings - though he at least still had his scarf. Black and grey striped knit that was as long as he was tall, coiled around his neck and draped over his shoulder. Kaos never went anywhere without his scarf, and even though he heard Hel from Father afterwards, it was worth it. As Kaos slung his backpack over his shoulder, he trailed his hand to his neck, reaching to feel the soft warmth of his scarf. Instead, his hand only met skin.

"C'mon Kaos, we gotta get going. We don't want you being late for-"

"My scarf!!" Kaos shouted. "Where's my scarf!?"

"Kaos, it's not even that cold out. You don't need your- oooor you can go get it. That's fine too. I guess" Dyscord watched as Kaos chucked his overstuffed backpack to the side, the contents spilling across the floorboards as he raced upstairs to his room. He swore, Kaos would be the death of him one of these days, but at least his life was interesting with him around. Dyscord just wished he wasn't so, well, chaotic. But he supposed that came with the name.

Kaos threw the door to his room open, his breath catching in his throat. He had been wearing it when he fell asleep, where could it have gotten off to!? Had he taken it off when he got dressed? No, it wasn't by his closet box. Was it in his loft? No, no. Maybe it was in the blanket pile he had created that morning. Or maybe it was- Kaos froze, slowly turning towards the window, the familiar _tap tap_ tapping of the tree branch against the grimy glass greeting him.

"You." He glowered at the tree branch, carefully approaching the window. "What did you do with it!?"

The tree branch just continued its endless rapping against the window pane, mocking him, oblivious to the enemy it had made. Kaos stormed forward, climbing up onto his desk, kicking the papers that covered it onto the ground.

"Give it back now!!" He pressed his face against the glass. "Or so help me, you _will_ meet your untimely demise!!"

He was given no response. Not that Kaos expected one. The trees were always conniving, this one especially. They seemed innocent, but beneath that bark was a dastardly deciduous demon, lulling him into a false sense of security, laying in wait. But Kaos knew. Kaos knew the truth about these creatures. And he wouldn't let them get the upper hand. Never once taking his eyes from the branch, Kaos slid open his window slowly, then peered out. There it was, as he had assumed, his scarf. In the patchy grass, between the gnarled roots of the beast. He shot the tree one last glare, muttering to himself, then stepped out onto the small ledge right outside his window. At least that was a perk of being small, he could fit into spaces others couldn't. Kaos stood up, balancing himself against the wall, holding onto one of the few bricks that jutted out from the flush surface. He had done this many a time, but every time he felt butterflies congregating within his stomach, a few fluttering into his throat. The wind in his hair, the view of the forest beyond- painted in autumnal colors of deep purples and dry oranges, the grounds below in desperate need of tending. All of it flooding his senses, paired with the impending damage he would receive at one wrong move. It was all… magnificent. But admiring the view wasn't what he was here to do, no. Kaos shook his head, reaching out to grab the closest branch, hoisting himself into it. The tree may have been a conniving, callous creature, but at least it served a purpose. That being a way for Kaos to get to the ground without completely shattering all of his fragile little bones.

"Kaos, come on!!" He heard Dyscord call from inside. "I have other stuff I need to do today, if you don't hurry up you'll have to take the school ship!!"

Kaos rolled his eyes, carefully stepping down onto the next branch. Dyscord was so impatient. He'd get down, grab his scarf, and they'd be on their way before his older brother could utter another idiotic sentence. Kaos slid onto another branch, this one bending slightly under his weight. He shot the tree a glare, as if daring it to try something, before stepping onto the next one. This one, unluckily, wasn't so forgiving. Before Kaos knew what was happening, the branch had buckled beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground - the branches he fell past slicing at his skin. At least the damp earth was there to soften his fall. Kaos propped himself up on his arms, spitting out a chunk of dirt as he silently cursed himself out for letting down his guard. At least he has his scarf. Kaos stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes best he could before assessing the damage. A few cuts here and there, his coat would definitely need some stitches, but at least nothing was broken. Kaos scooped his scarf up, wrapped it loosely around his neck, then froze. He heard the sound of an engine revving up, the realization hitting him all too late.

"WAIT!!" Kaos shouted, making a mad dash for the front door. "DYSCORD, I'M COMING!!"

As Kaos rounded the corner, three things crossed his mind. His backpack laying on the path that lead up to the door, the idiocracy of his older brother; and the boat that belonged to the very same, the one that was usually docked at the edge of the island, now whirring off into the horizon without him. 

"YOU IDIOT!!" Kaos shouted, skidding to a stop. He swore he heard his brother laughing over the sound of the motor, which was quickly fading away. "I'M TELLING MOTHER!!"

Of course he wouldn't. Telling Mother had become an empty threat within the family, no longer holding any weight after countless empty promises of "mother'll hear about this" and "I'm telling mom" (the latter usually used by Mey) had been thrown around for years. But it was the only comeback he could dream up in the moment. He had other problems than coming up with a witty response that Dyscord couldn't even hear. He'd get him back later. After he was done with his current plan. Then he'd have all the time in the world to get back at Dyscord for being a complete ignoramus and putting a petty act of defiance over the welfare of the plan. That's what Kaos got for letting him in on it, he supposed, kicking a loose pathing tile out of frustration. His kick barely dislodged it, but it was at least something. Kaos grabbed his bag up off of the ground, finally noticing the note taped to it. _Have fun taking the school ship_. Of course. Kaos crumpled the note up as he swung the backpack over his shoulder, muttering to himself all the while. He looked around, starting to head in the direction the school ship usually docked. It was quite a ways away, so the sooner he left, the better chances he had of catching it. Why it didn't dock closer to his home was beyond him, and despite the complaints he had lodged with the school board and his mother, no changes had been made. Rolling fields of splotchy, yellowing grass were laid out before Kaos, broken up by the occasional stone pathway. Cracking with age and broken up like a checkerboard. The wound through the dirt haphazardly, interrupted by the occasional tree (which Kaos did his best to keep his distance from) or the start of a rickety bridge that connected the nearby islands. On his usual walks, Kaos would have stopped on the bridges, kneeling down and seeing how far down he could reach into the abyss below, waiting for something to float by that he could possibly add to his collections. Today, he had no time for that. Today, he actually had somewhere to be. Kaos counted his steps, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to watch as his home got smaller and smaller. From here, it looked normal. Simple even. But the imposing aura it cast still lingered in the air. The tall spires piercing the wispy clouds themselves, high stone walls and arched windows covered in moss and ivy. An overbearing, ancient labyrinth of a castle Kaos called home. Sometimes Kaos was convinced the place was still standing because of the grime it was caked in, which was the excuse he gave himself whenever it came to cleaning. If he did a good job, he might not have a home to go back to. It was an excuse Mother was never fond of. Kaos remembered one year he had been put on ivy duty during their yearly cleaning. He had encountered a particularly dastardly tangle of vines on the west side, one that had kept him trapped for the majority of the day. Mother had found him deep asleep in their verdant web after the sun had set, and Kaos hadn't been allowed near that part of the castle for a good while afterwards. Kaos sighed, a smile creeping its way onto his face at the memory, his home now simply a silhouette against the backdrop of the endless sky. He looked ahead, finally making out his target. The old barge that served as the school ship. Badly, at that. It was only a few islands away, where the grass was more lush and the terrain less harsh. Kaos picked up his speed, going from a light jog to a sprint, barely feeling his feet touch the ground. He was gonna make it. He could still see students boarding, he still had time, he could still make it.

"WAIT! WAIT!!" He shouted, causing a few heads to turn, but only for a brief moment. 

Kaos forced himself through the crowd, nearly doubling over as he struggled to catch his breath, one hand on the strap of his backpack and the other on his scarf, just making sure it was still there. He ignored the dirty looks he was getting as the line began moving again, following the students ahead of him up the ramp. Even from his low vantage point he could tell the state of the ship. Noisy and overcrowded, with just a sprinkle of staff trying desperately to keep order. The chatter of students loud enough to make the patchwork steel hull of the ship vibrate. Kaos found his mind wandering as he and the rest of the students were herded onto the ship like animals, personal space a thing of the past. Everyone around him was at least double Kaos' height, leaving him lost in a forest of legs and torsos shuffling him forward. It would have been humiliating if he wasn't used to it. Ever since he was little, (well, littler) he had been the runt of the litter. Mother had wanted to hold him back because of it, even though she admitted he was smart enough to be a grade ahead. But here he was, stuck in a sea of people all taller than him, even at a grade lower than he should have been. At least that meant he excelled compared to everyone else - when he actually applied himself that was. It was so hard to apply himself when everything was so easy. Kaos wanted a challenge, he needed one, he- 

_BANG!_

Kaos stumbled back, bumping into the person behind him. He clutched his hands over his ears, the world vibrating around him. He faintly heard the person behind him mutter something as they pushed past, pulling him back to reality. What in the Ancients' names was that?! Kaos looked around, stepping off of the ramp and onto the deck of the ship, feeling the engine start to whur to life. He frowned. It must've just been a misfire of the engine. The ship was old and broken, misfires were bound to happen. But even then, Kaos couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Kaos peered over the edge of the ship, watching as the island below them slowly began drifting away. The smell of engine fuel and strong perfume filling the air. Kaos gripped the rusting side rail, then looked back to the deck of the ship. The talking had only grown louder, everyone trying to be heard over the roar of the engine and of course one another. It was an idiotic sight, people huddled into groups. Elves and ents playing a quick game of skystones, a group of mabu discussing the best way to prepare beetroots for their cooking class - even the gillmen were chatting it away, all in their own little worlds. Everyone seemed to have a group. Everyone, but Kaos. It wasn't a bother to him, though, not at all. Why would it have been? He had himself, and that was all Kaos needed. Kaos began making his way through the crowds of kids, hands in his pockets and eyes trained on the floor. He slid his backpack off once he got to his usual corner, plopping himself down. He looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by, the chatter around him becoming nothing but white noise. He closed his eyes, letting himself drift off, running the plan through his head once more. It would be perfect. He just needed to make it through the day.


	3. The idiosyncrasies caused by the troll agenda

" **S** ettle down, settle down!" The com system of the ship crackled to life, a heavy Irish accent coming through, rising Kaos from his rest. "We'll be nearing the school in under an hour! Get ye stuff together and be ready to disembark!"  
None of the kids seemed to notice, or at least register they had heard the announcement. They were too involved with their own petty little lives to. Kaos sighed, putting his backpack back on and getting to his feet. The ship wasn't descending quite yet, but he could see a few other islands and vessels speckling the sky. Oh, how he yearned to know their stories, the mysteries each and every one held. He leaned against the railing, resting his head in his hands, watching the sights slowly flow past. The sky was now an unfamiliar powdery blue, as opposed to the faint reds he was used to back home. Both were intriguing in their own rights, of course, but he had yet to grow used to the blue that the rest of Skylands apparently held as a usual sight. Kaos sighed, reaching his hand out, feeling the wind flowing over his fingertips. The cool fall breeze, carrying with it the magic that made Skylands what it is. If he focused, he could almost feel it, the pure energy. Or maybe that was just him losing circulation to his extended digits. Kaos chuckled to himself, pulling his hand back, the sensation of his fingers falling asleep setting in. It had most definitely been the latter. Kaos slipped his hands into his pockets, took a step away from his corner, and froze.

 _BANG!_

There it was again. The engine misfiring. But this time, Kaos swore the sound was coming from directly below him. He knelt down, placing his hand on the boards of the deck, raising an eyebrow. He could feel the vibrations of people's footsteps, their voices all swarming together into a mess of gibberish he couldn't make out, until he heard it again, cutting through the slurry of noise. _BANG!!_ This time, other people seemed to hear it too, judging by how they began looking around, but like before they seemed to brush it off. Just assuming the old ship was just doing its usual old ship thing. But this, Kaos knew, this was far from its usual. The old barge may have been made from shotty craftsmanship, but this didn't just seem like its usual nonsense. This was something foreign. This was something… new. The talking had grown quieter, or maybe he had just become more focused, but whichever it may had been, Kaos needed to know what was happening. He looked around quickly, making his way to the staircase that lead down below deck. He pushed the door open, blatantly ignoring the 'staff only' sign taped to its rusted surface, before he darted down the stairs. He took two at a time, his heart racing, feet barely touching the ground as he scrambled around the corner and into the room below deck. He pushed the door open, then skidded to a complete stop.

"PUT YOUR BACKS INTO IT BOYS!"  
 _BANG!_ Kaos held onto the door frame as the ship lurched to the side, a tree trunk sized battering ram getting lodged in the hull of the ship. The three creatures that were holding onto it wrenching the battering ram out of the dent they had made, readying for another strike. Kaos recognized them almost immediately, from their stout figures to their green skin. Kaos has read about them many times, but had never seen one in person. Let alone a whole group of them. Trolls. Five trolls, to be exact. Three of them were the typical image you'd see, stout bodies and long, muscular limbs, their caricature-esque faces twisted into grimaces as they wound up for another hit before ultimately dropping the battering ram, the noise it caused just as ear splitting. The fourth was bigger, about the size of the other three if they were mashed all together into one massive mega-troll. A long nose took up most of his face, paired with beady eyes (hidden within a mop of ginger hair) and a wide, snarling mouth. Its floppy ears hung at the sides of its head, framing the monstrous mess perfectly. But the one that caught Kaos' attention the most was the fifth troll. Kaos knew quite a bit about trolls. He knew that their idea of fun was shoving lit dynamite down each other's pants. Their day job was oppressing smaller mabu towns, and their favorite pastime was making faux paintings and ancient relics that would normally explode before you even got home with them. All of this added up with the first four, but the fifth troll seemed far from what Kaos understood trolls to act like. He sat off to the side on one of the crates, his face hidden in his green hands. He was a gangly thing, with slender limbs and a mess of curly, ginger hair sprouting from his head. His clothes were a lot neater than the others, actually looking like they had been washed within the last week. Nothing added up about him. 

"Come on you idiots!! Get off your lazy butts and get back to work!!" The fourth troll snarled, flecks of yellowish spit flying from his mouth. His voice was sour enough to curdle milk.

The other trolls hoisted the battering ram up once again, then charged at the hull, lodging it into the same dent once again. Kaos stumbled back, nearly falling flat on his back. The ship may have been rickety, but that battering ram wasn't going to get through any time soon. Especially on the section they were working at. Before the thought crossed his mind that announcing himself was probably a bad idea, Kaos cleared his throat.

"By the Ancients, what do you think you're doing??" His shrill voice cut through the air, drawing the attention of the trolls all at once. Even the one in the corner. The main four exchanged glances, then dropped the battering ram onto the uneven flooring. "I've heard trolls are dull, but honestly. Did you _really_ think that _twig_ was gonna buckle the hull? You'd need something at least twice as dense. Or maybe even something less primitive. Like a flamethrower." 

The trolls exchanged glances, before the biggest troll pushed past the others, towering over Kaos. Kaos did his best to maintain his cool composure, crossing his arms across his puffed-out chest. Too late to back out now. He needed to think of an actual plan, quickly.

"Well well well." The main troll snarled, crouching down. "What do we have here?"

"A human that seems to know more about demolition than you do." Kaos spoke back. 

The troll's amused grin twisted itself into a frown, his yellowed teeth showing through his parted lips. "A human."

Kaos felt his breath catch in his throat as a large, meaty hand grabbed him by the collar of his coat, lifting him up off of the ground.

"A puny thing like you. Is a human." The troll scoffed. From where he was holding him, Kaos could smell his pungent breath. It reeked of rattail stew and week old sheep wool pie.

"N-Not just a mere human!" Kaos squirmed in the troll's grasp, his mind running a thousand miles a minute. "I, Kaos, am a Portal Master!!"

That grabbed their attention. Kaos could see the gears in the biggest troll's head grinding, his beady yellow eyes peering out from beneath his untamed mop. Despite dangling in the air, and being not even half of the troll's size, Kaos tried his best to look imposing. Trolls were supposed to be dumb, their intellect only comparable to things like greebles or the common chompy. So of course they'd buy such a clear fib, right? Kaos wasn't a Portal Master. He was the farthest thing from one. Even if they weren't simply a myth parents told their kids so they would behave, Mother being one of them, Kaos was far from magical. He was intellectual, not mythical. But hopefully these trolls were dense enough to believe the tales. And that he was one of them. As the seconds ticked past, Kaos began growing more and more proud of this fib he had concocted, seeing as it had seemed to stop the trolls in their tracks as they worked their brains around it. That feeling was quickly snuffed, though, as the main troll burst into laughter, the other three following suit.

"Oh my Ancients, this twerp is hilarious!!" He cackled, tossing Kaos to the ground, at the feet of the others. 

"Listen, 'Kaos'." He knelt down, coming face to face with him. Kaos had to do his best not to hurl at the stench of the troll's breath. "You're funny, mini-human. But that's quickly getting on my nerves. So why don't you get out of our way and bear witness to the greatest family of trolls to ever grace the umbra isles!"

"The 'greatest family of trolls' uses a battering ram to try to sink a reinforced school ship?" Kaos raised an eyebrow, sneering. He couldn't help himself. He knew he was actively digging his own grave, but he just didn't know when to stop.

The troll paused, then looked to the three behind Kaos. "...Ascral, you told me this was a cargo transport ship!!" He stepped over Kaos, the troll's bare foot nearly colliding with Kaos' skull.

"I-It is!!" One of the three, Ascral, stammered, putting his hands up in defense. "It- It transports people!"

"People aren't cargo!! We were supposed to sink the ship and take the cargo back as proof!! We can't bring back a boatload of kids!!"

Kaos rolled his eyes, ignoring the fact that his hands were shaking as he started crawling back towards the staircase. If he could get out while they were bickering amongst each other, hopefully the ship would dock and he would be able to get away scott free. For a split second, Kaos looked over to the troll in the corner. He had looked up, his warm grey eyes meeting Kaos' for only a moment. Kaos felt his heart skip a beat, then stop altogether when he heard one of the other trolls shout: "Thropp!! The human's getting away!!" 

Kaos screamed as he was wrenched up off of the ground, a sweaty hand clamping down over his mouth.

"And where do you think you're going, maggot." Thropp spat, eyeing Kaos through his shaggy hair. "We're not letting you get away that easily."

Kaos kicked his legs trying to writhe out of the goliath troll's grasp. In a panic, he sunk his teeth into Thropp's hand, ignoring the putrid taste of sweat and blood that filled his mouth. Thropp reeled back, squealing like a little girl as he dropped Kaos to the ground. He stumbled back, tripping over the other trolls in the process. Kaos spit out a mouthful of olive green blood, then broke into a mad dash for the door.

"Glumshanks!! Stop the human!!" He heard Thropp shout, looking back over his shoulder. The gangly troll had gotten up off of his crate, glancing from Kaos to the other trolls in a panic before a loud _CLANG_ filled the room and Kaos fell back, his head hitting the metal flooring. The room spun, his ears ringing. He looked up to see the doorframe he had collided with, his vision soon filled with the silhouette of the goliath troll he had been trying to get away from. The last thing he heard was Thropp's slimy voice cutting through the ringing in his head.

"Zhoarc, Haldir, Ascral! Grab the rope. We have to make sure this maggot doesn't get in our way again."

The troll, who Kaos had deduced to be Glumshanks, was supposed to be keeping a close eye on him; despite the fact that he was practically hogtied, trapped in the corner between the wall and a stack of crates. Kaos had only been out cold for a few minutes, he assumed, though thinking with a splitting headache was growing to be quite cumbersome so he couldn't tell for certain. He had tried explaining to the trolls that he wouldn't have gone squealing to the adults, that just wasn't how he worked, but they clearly didn't trust him. Which was fair. Kaos squirmed against the shaggy rope that was wrapped around his limbs, muttering to himself. He could hear the other trolls bickering, but he couldn't make out the words. Not that it would have helped him. He needed to think of a plan, some way he could get out of this situation, but his mind kept drawing blanks. For once in his life, Kaos felt stuck. That was, until he noticed Glumshanks.

The lanky troll was back on his crate, chin resting in his hands, watching the other trolls as they finally decided to get back to work. His grey eyes were full of longing, his mouth bent into a small frown. He looked complacent. He looked… useful. Kaos shifted his way over to the troll best he could, using his shoulder to nudge the troll's leg. Glumshanks jumped slightly, then looked down, as if just remembering Kaos was there.

"Oh… hello." He sighed. He had a low, melancholy voice. "If you want me to move, I don't think I'm allowed. But believe me, I'd love to as much as the next-"

"No, fool!" Kaos interrupted, his voice barely above a whisper, "I want you to untie me. But make sure that ugly oaf over there doesn't see you, or we're both in a boatload of trouble."

Glumshanks blinked slowly, then looked away. Kaos looked incredulously up at him, frustration bubbling up in the back of his throat.

"Did you not hear me-"

"I heard you." Glumshanks glanced back down. "But for one, I don't appreciate that tone of voice. Two, that 'ugly oaf' is my brother. Three, I don't feel like risking my welbeing for a human I just met."

"...that's your brother." Kaos raised an eyebrow.

"Did you not hear him shouting about the 'greatest family of trolls in the umbra isles'? That includes me. The runt of the litter."

Glumshanks gave a drawn out sigh, looking away again. Kaos furrowed his brow, lingering on the last part of the sentence. _Runt of the litter._ While Glumshanks was nowhere close to being a 'runt', Kaos understood what he meant. Compared to the others, Glumshanks definitely looked weaker. Nothing about his demeanor screamed 'troll' (aside from the obvious physical attributes) whereas the others, well, you'd know from a mile away what they were. Kaos sighed, then nudged Glumshanks' leg once more.

"Hey, I'm, uh…" He faltered, trying to hide the small twinge of guilt he actually felt. "I'm sorry, mkay? I didn't mean to call your brother ugly-"

"He is."

"...what."

"He's definitely hard on the eyes, you weren't wrong. But go on."

Kaos exhaled through his nose, now even more confused than before. "If you agree with me, why in Skylands did you get all uppity??"

"It's the principle of the-" Glumshanks flinched as the sound of wood splintering against metal filled the room, "of the situation." 

"Okay, well, whatever." Kaos' eyes trailed back over to the other trolls, watching as Thropp slammed his foot against the ground and the three others charged at the hull. "...why aren't you helping them?"

"I'd slow them down. Besides, it's not really my scene. They handle the action, I handle the paperwork."

"If they do succeed," Kaos carried on, as much as the concept of a troll doing paperwork intrigued him, "how're you all going to get away? If you manage to sink the ship, well, I don't see any other vessel you can use to get away on."

Glumshanks was silent, his ears twitching as the battering ram made contact with the wall once more. "...they didn't think that far ahead. All that matters is we get an A on the project."

"Did you? Think ahead, I mean."

The troll looked over, the two locking eyes once again. Kaos understood what it was like, to be the odd one out. Of course, he wouldn't admit it, but maybe he could use that to his advantage.

"Listen, troll-"

"Glumshanks."

"Yes, right, whatever. If you help untie me, I can help you with this little… situation."

"...how?"

"Untie me, then we can discuss details."

"...fine. But only because I'm tired of being here."

Kaos could have sworn he noticed the corners of the troll's mouth twitch into a smile, his gaze softening, but it was gone quickly. The gangly troll looked back to his brothers, then slid off of the crate, coming to crouch beside Kaos. He felt Glumshanks tug on the ropes, then begin going to work. Before long, the ropes slid to the ground with a dull _thud_ , leaving Kaos to readjust and reassess. He rubbed his wrists where the ropes had cut into them, then looked back to Glumshanks. He could run. Glumshanks clearly wasn't strong enough to stop him if he did, and the other trolls were too busy with their idiotic plan to notice him. He could leave and just continue on with his life like nothing had happened. But as Kaos moved to stand up, something stopped him. Whether it was the look on Glumshanks' face, or the fact that this troll was an enomally Kaos desperately wanted to know more about, or maybe even the fact that he related to him on some microscopic level. Kaos shifted around to face Glumshanks, managing a smile.

"Alright, troll. Let's get this show on the road."


	4. The plan to end all plans (at least the plan to sink the ship)

Glumshanks had always been told that humans were bad news. From the moment he was hatched, it had been drilled into him. Mabu were spineless, chompies were a nuisance, and humans were deadly - even as few and far between as they were. But now, as he watched Kaos sorting himself out, he started to realize how odd of a concept that was. Of course, Glumshanks assumed not all humans were as miniscule as this one, but even so, Kaos just seemed like any other peaceful creature Skylands had to offer. Sure, he was pretty loud, and a tad intimidating, but he didn't seem all too strong, or all that destructive. Nothing like the images he had always imagined when his parents told him stories of humans. Glumshanks leaned back against the closest crate, his ears flattening against the sides of his head as the battering ram clanged against the hull once again.  
“Okay, okay." Kaos waved his hands, grabbing Glumshanks' attention. "Fill me in on what in the outlands is even going on here."  
"My brothers are trying to sink the shi-"  
"Yes yes yes, I know that already!" Kaos hissed. "Why are they trying to?"  
Glumshanks sighed, scuffing his foot against the ground lightly. "Well, so we can get a good grade."  
"A good grade?"  
Glumshanks nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Yyyep. Thropp thought if we could sink a ship for demolition class we'd be able to bring back the cargo and get the highest grade in the class."  
There was another clang, then an indignant roar from Thropp. "COME ON!! EVEN GLUMSHANKS COULD HAVE FINISHED THIS BY NOW!!"  
Kaos winced, clapping his hands over his ears. "Ancients, he has absolutely no volume control."  
"Imagine living with him." Glumshanks gave a dry chuckle, then sighed, looking to the ground. "So. Are you going to tell me what this plan of your's is, or…?"  
He looked back over to Kaos, who was staring off to the side, his mind clearly elsewhere. After some hesitation, Glumshanks reached out, tapping on Kaos' shoulder. The tiny human jumped, his eyes wide.  
"Plan?"  
"Oh!" Kaos brushed himself off. "Yes, yes. The plan."  
He gestured for Glumshanks to come closer. Glumshanks raised an eyebrow, but obliged anyway, kneeling down to Kaos' height. He was immediately caught off guard by Kaos swinging his arm around his shoulders, pulling him down even more.  
"Alright." He whispered, grinning. "I'm going to need you to distract those lugs while I-"  
"No. No way." Glumshanks shook his head, pulling away. "If I get in the way Thropp said he'd tie me to the end of the battering ram for 'extra support'."  
His apathetic demeanor was all but gone, true fear shining through in the troll's grey eyes. Kaos frowned, putting his hand on Glumshanks' shoulder.  
"Listen, Glumshunks."  
"Glumshanks."  
"At least I was close. You'll be fine, I promise. Before they even realize you're not simply there for idle chit chat, I'll already be done with my half of the whole ordeal. There's no way I'd let you become the paint color for that section of the hull."  
"I didn't need that image in my mind, but thanks."  
Kaos snickered, patting Glumshanks on the shoulder. "Come on, you trust me, don't you?"  
Glumshanks hesitated. The two of them had literally just met. Would he really be putting his well being in the tiny hands of a human he knew nothing about? Glumshanks looked back over at his brothers, watching as they rammed the wall once more, Thropp shouting something about them being nothing more than 'spineless snot monsters'. He could see the section was starting to buckle, the copper colored plating cracking open at the point of impact, light starting to filter in. Yes, yes he was. Glumshanks looked back to Kaos, then held out his hand.  
"You promise I'll be okay?"  
"Pinky promise." Kaos smiled, taking Glumshanks' hand, before pulling the gangly troll back down to his height. "Now, here's what I need you to do."  
Kaos lifted up Glumshanks' ear, lowering his voice to a whisper. Glumshanks could feel his heart beating within his chest, but he tried his best to ignore it, just focusing on the words Kaos was saying. The more he listened, the more confused he became, but Glumshanks just nodded along. Hopefully, he wouldn't regret this.

Glumshanks bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, wringing his hands together nervously. He glanced back at Kaos, who gave him a thumbs up before slipping out of sight. Glumshanks managed a smile back, took a deep breath, then stepped forward.  
"H-Hey, guys?" Glumshanks raised his hand, his voice barely audible over the sound of splintering wood. At this rate, the battering ram was going to split in half before the hull broke, but he didn't want to risk it. At any rate, they'd probably just start ramming into the wall themselves "Guys?"  
The other trolls whipped their heads around, dropping the battering ram. (Which subsequently landed on Haldir's foot, causing him to scream and jump back). The others paid him no mind though, aside from a small snicker.   
"What's up, runt. You're supposed to be watching the human." Thropp muttered, pushing past Haldir as he attempted to nurse his, probably broken, foot.  
"I- I know. I made sure he was secure." Glumshanks felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, but he tried his best to ignore it. "I-I was just wondering. Why are we doing this?"  
"You know why, Glumshanks. We need to get an A on this project or-"  
"But, it's not the right ship. You know that. There's no reason we should be here still. They won't accept a school ship for the project anyway-"  
Glumshanks yelped as Thropp swiped at him, snarling. "Be quiet! You're flunking the class anyway, what would you know!!"  
"I- I knew this wasn't the right ship when we first snuck onboard!" Glumshanks retorted, standing his ground. He could feel his legs turning to jello beneath him, his hands balled into fists. "But you didn't listen!"  
"Uh, Thropp?"  
"Not now Ascral!! Can't you see I'm busy!?" Thropp whipped around to face his other siblings, practically frothing at the mouth.  
"But- this is important? I can't hear the engine anymore."  
"I can't either." Zhoark piped up. "Do you think we landed?"  
"Of course not, dimwit! There's no way we're there yet!"   
Thropp pushed Ascral out of the way, peering through the crack that had formed in the hull. Glumshanks wiped the sweat from his forehead, nearly collapsing then and there. He could see Thropp's body language shift from enraged, to confused, right back to enraged once again. He whirled around, a vain on the side of his face bulging.  
"Why isn't the ship moving!?"

Kaos had crawled into the space between two of the crates, hidden from view. He listened intently to the trolls bickering, resisting the urge to peer over and risk getting seen. Despite his worries, he had to admit Glumshanks wasn't doing too horrible at being the distraction. Of course, he could have done much better if his expertise wasn't needed for the other half of the plan, but he'd let that slide. Kaos turned back to his work, tuning out the trolls to the best of his ability. In front of him was a metal box, a hole cut into its surface where the speaker had previously sat. Inside, Kaos could make out a tangle of wires wrapped around a few loose gears, rust and mildew coating their surfaces. Kaos reached in, moving some of the wires to the side, a slimy residue coating his calloused fingers. He pulled out an old cog, or at least what he assumed was once a cog, now only a corroded lump of an indescribable metal. Kaos set it on the ground, then covered his nose, the smell finally reaching him. It definitely wasn't the worst smell, but it wasn't what you would expect an old speaker box to smell like. Wet copper mixed with rotting cherry pie. Amazing what time did to old technology, he thought, though he could have sworn a few years buried amongst crates and cleaning supplies wouldn’t have done something like this. Sure, the ship leaked from time to time, so the insides being a little damp was to be expected; but full of a viscous substance that he could only describe as the color of 'moldy puke'? That definitely wasn’t supposed to be there.  
Kaos reached into the speaker, breaking the stale skin that covered the surface. Kaos remembered trying to hack the com system; the ship had been stalled one day on the way to school, so bored and wanting to try out something he had read about the day before, Kaos had taken down one of the speakers and rewired it. He had intended for it to only play electro-swing music (a genre he was particularly fond of) - but instead he had caused all of them to emit an ear piercing whaling that had made his ears ring for days after. Needless to say, the experiment had been a failure - aside from causing the ship to go into a momentary panic. As Kaos recalled the memory, the fondness he felt started slipping into disgust. They had ridiculed him. When he had been caught, he had been kept him contained like nothing more than a common criminal - until of course they docked and he was escorted off. Kaos clenched his fists, his vision growing blurry. He could hear Thropp shouting, but he didn't bother to try and make out the words They had stared, hushed whispers exchanged between friends, judging stares trained on him, like every student considered themselves to be judge, jury and executioner. They knew nothing, and yet they held themselves high enough to make split second decisions based on appearance and rumors. The weird kid had been messing with the intercom. That was all they knew. And yet they held the audacity to judge him like they knew him. They knew nothing. Nor would they ever get the chance to. To them, Kaos would forever be the odd kid, always getting himself into trouble. Always stirring the pot. Always at the back of the class. Always alone. Not even a month of detention could wipe those stares from his mind, nor those thoughts from theirs. He would always just be 'that kid'.  
Tick tick tick tick.  
And, there it was. Kaos shook his head, a chill running up his spine. The nails tapping on a chalkboard in the back of his mind, the noise clawing its way to the forefront of his psyche. He checked around to make sure it wasn't just one of the trolls making noise; a foolish endeavor on his part. He knew the difference. This was all him.  
Tick tick tick  
Kaos took a deep breath, closing his eyes, that damned noise continuing to play on repeat. Ever since he could remember, he had been able to hear it, working its way through his thoughts whenever he got overwhelmed by his emotions. Sometimes a blessing in disguise, other times a rhythmic curse doomed to settle at the forefront for hours on end. Though today, it seemed to be merciful, already beginning to fade.  
Tick tick  
He could hear the trolls yammering on once more, his vision clearing (along with with the headache inducing noise). Curiously, he peeked over the crate he was huddled behind. He watched as Thropp pushed Ascral (or who Kaos assumed was Ascral) out of the way of the crack in the wall, shoving his ugly face as close as it could get. He raised a brow, but decided he would ask Glumshanks about it later, simply returning to his work. The work he himself had so unceremoniously interrupted with his stupid daydreaming.  
Tick  
Kaos sunk back down to the floor, returning his attention to the speaker. He preemptively held his breath as he reached back into the metal box, feeling around inside. He had broken the crust already, leaving the gelatinous mess uncovered and even more putrid than before. Bracing himself, he plunged his hand down into the slime, a sensation of cold and clammy washing over him from his fingertips. Kaos gagged, covering his mouth with his free hand, plunging his other deeper into the mess. It squelched in response, almost seeming to squirm against his grasp. He was wrist deep now, having gotten a good hold on it. The less times he needed to go in, the better, so the more he pulled out in one go, the better it was for him. Kaos scrunched his eyes closed tight, then pulled. Nothing happened. He opened one eye, frowning. The slime hadn't even budged. He tugged on it again, still to no avail. Kaos grabbed his wrist, pulling with all of his tiny might. With a sickening pop, the slime gave way, sending him rolling backwards.The mess flew from his hand, slapping against the hull and sliding down with a squeal, leaving a trail of glistening slime in its wake. Kaos watched from the floor as the mass wriggled away behind some boxes, then looked over when he heard Glumshanks clear his throat in a panic. The troll’s conversation had trailed off, befuddled stares watching the creature slink out of sight. Luckily, it didn’t seem like they had noticed Kaos peeking out from his hiding spot, but that probably wouldn’t last for long, seeing as their curiosity had already peaked.  
“M-Maybe we should just get back to work?” Glumshanks spoke up, sweat trickling down his brow. “This hull won’t, uh, breach on it’s own after all-”  
Thropp pushed Glumshanks to the side with more force than necessary, lumbering towards the crates. Kaos scrambled back to the speaker, his heart pounding in his ears. He swore, if it was any louder, Thropp would be able to hear it. As he knelt down in front of the speaker, now free of whatever that creature had been, his mind began whirring to life. He began getting to work, ignoring the looming danger that was quickly approaching - hopefully that creature itself would keep Thropp’s attention long enough for Kaos to finish. Kaos grabbed a box marked ‘spare parts’, rummaging through it as quietly as he could, going back and forth between searching for parts and removing the old ones, his hands starting to work on their own. It was like a puzzle he had done hundreds of times, his brain piecing things together like it was second nature to him. He refitted wires, recoiled copper spools, ignored the egg sack in the corner of the box as he worked to fix problems before he even realized he had thought of them. It was like magic, his fingers gliding and movements fluid. It would almost be like meditation if Kaos didn’t practically feel the breath of that goliath troll on the back of his neck. Kaos grabbed a small power core from the box, silently praying to the Ancients before sliding it into place, then fitting the actual speaker part back into its place with a tiny click; a click that seemed to echo through the room, like the bullet from a gun. Kaos looked over his shoulder in a panic, only letting his breath out when he realized Thropp’s attention was still captured by the trail of slime, Glumshanks desperately trying to keep it that way. Their eyes met for a split second, Kaos giving a quick thumbs up before motioning for him to continue with the distraction. He watched for a moment before crawling behind the speaker, taking a deep breath. It had worked once before, it had to work if he was trying to do it on purpose, right? Everything was riding on his shoulders… and Kaos had never felt more powerful.

Glumshanks moved his sweat slick hair out of his eyes, looking back to his brother, who was fishing around behind one of the larger crates, trying to grab ahold of whatever that large, slug-like creature was. Glumshanks knew he needed to work quickly, his brother’s attention spans were even shorter than their fuses, and Kaos needed time to get the machine up and running. Again, Glumshanks doubted why he was even trusting this human, but if this worked it would turn out better than whatever this ‘plan’ was that Thropp had concocted. If he had to choose one madman over the other, he’d have to take the one that didn’t include sending them all falling into the endless expanse of Skylands. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, his ears twitching up at the soft sound of whirring that filled the air. Thropp paused, clearly hearing it too. He looked to the others, who shook their heads in response, just as confused as him. Glumshanks had to resist looking back to Kaos, to see if it was working. His hands twitched, ready to cover his ears at a moment’s notice. Thropp peered behind the crate, as if expecting the slug to be emitting this strange noise. At that moment, Glumshanks looked back. Kaos had spilled his backpack onto the ground, the speaker perched up on a stack of boxes, and an odd looking remote now clutched in his hand. He was fiddling with the dial, then covering his ears, before doing it again. His expression furrowing more and more with each attempt. He hit the side of the remote, trying not to scream. Glumshanks raised a brow as a purple spark ran across the remote, the lightbulb at the end bursting, before an ear-piercing shriek rang through the air. Kaos screamed, his voice immediately drowned out, tossing the remote to the side as smoke began curling from the gaps. Glumshanks plugged his ears, his head starting to spin as his knees buckled. The troll watched through blurred vision as Thropp fell to one knee, clamping his comically large hands over his equally large ears. His mouth was moving, but Glumshanks couldn’t make out what he was saying, let alone actually hear him. None of the others could either, clearly, absolutely losing their minds over by the battering ram. He was about to look back, to see if Kaos was making the most of the situation, when he saw the little brunet making a break for the door, almost bumping into him. Glumshank’s heart skipped a beat before he scrambled after Kaos, barely noticing when the door was slammed in their faces. Thropp spat at them, swiping to grab Kaos, who only narrowly dodged. Kaos scrambled back, bumping into Ascral, causing him to trip over the battering ram and topple onto Zhoark and Haldir. Thropp reeled forward, only to fall face first, tripped up by Glumshanks foot stuck across his path at the last minute. Kaos looked over to Glumshanks, his mouth open a smidge before twisting into a grin. Glumshanks motioned to the door with a quick tilt of his head, the two scrambling over while the others were incapacitated. Kaos got to the door first, struggling to twist the lock wheel, practically climbing on the door to try to get it to budge. Glumshanks gently nudged him to the side after a moment, trying to keep a level head as he tried to turn the handle. Nothing. Glumshanks saw Kaos mouth something about an automatic lock before he kicked the door with all of his might, hopping back as he clutched his foot immediately afterwards. Glumshanks rolled his eyes, then paused, noticing a distinct lack of ringing filling the air (aside from the ones lingering in his ears). He hesitantly looked back to the speaker, his stomach dropping as Thropp gave the remnants one last stomp, grinding it into the floor with his heel. When he looked up, his beady eyes immediately focused in on the pair, his lips twisting into a snarl.  
“I knew something was up with you, Glumshanks.” Thropp towered over them, sneering. “You never show this much interest, I should have known something was up.”  
“I mean, you could have taken longer to figure it out.” Glumshanks shrugged, looking to the side, trying to mask his fear with disaffectiveness.   
The facade didn’t last for very long though before Thropp picked him up by the collar of his top, spit flying from his mouth as he snarled. “You know, I always knew you were a reject. I just never thought you’d end up helping a human of all creatures.”  
Before Glumshanks could retort, Kaos stomped on Thropp’s big toe, causing him to drop Glumshanks with a cry of indignation. He whipped his head around to stare bullets at the small human, who glared right back, arms crossed across his chest.  
“You really should treat your brother with more respect. Who else is gonna put you buffoons in their place?”  
Thropp grabbed Kaos by the lapels of his coat, pulling him closer than needed.  
“You best watch your tongue, human. Before I remove it.” He pulled his head up, barking at the three others. “Boys! Grab the rope! We got some loose ends to take care of.”

Thropp finished tightening the ropes more than needed, shoving the pair back once he got to his feet, a cocky smirk on his face. Despite the bite marks that lined his arms, courtesy of Kaos, he didn’t seem phased. If anything, he seemed amused. Kaos squirmed, his back pressed up against Glumshanks’. He watched as Thropp lumbered away, back towards the battering ram, chuckling about his ‘cunning’ and ‘wiles’.  
“So… got a plan to get us out of this one.” Glumshanks muttered, legs curled up to his chest. He didn’t even bother trying to look back at Kaos.  
Kaos flinched at the sound of the battering ram resuming. All of that for nothing. He tried to find the knot holding the ropes tight, but it was nowhere within reach, at least for his stumpy little arms to reach. He huffed, shoulders slumping. That was, until the sound of something new reached his ears. The other trolls paused, looking towards the door. Kaos elbowed Glumshanks, raising a brow. Behind the locked door, footsteps were making their way down the stairs.


	5. The spider caught in the fly’s web

**K** aos rapped his quill against the page of his textbook, rhythmic patterns distracting him from the lesson at hand.  _ Rat tat tat. History _ , something on the dragon realm.  _ Tat tat tat _ . Having taught himself about that very topic late last summer, paying attention was the least of his worries.  _ Tat tat tat. _ That seemed to be a habit for Kaos, even back in the day; while the others were trying to master writing simple words like  _ ‘house’ _ and their names, Kaos was busy reading up on the history of Skylands (and marking up the books with his barely legible handwriting). Despite excelling past his fellow students faster than the teachers had ever seen a child of his age learn, his failure to actually apply his skills landed him in the ‘gifted’ student classes; later resulting in him being held back an entire year. It probably didn’t help that he had been homeschooled the first few years of his life, either; having found it nearly impossible to get along with the other inferior students he found himself surrounded by.  _ Rat tat tap. _ Kaos sighed, mindlessly tracing one of the illustrations of the fabled purple dragon, not noticing the lull in conversation.

“Ah- _ hem _ ” _.  _

Kaos looked up from his textbook, pausing his hand mid trace. The quill hovered just above the page. The sound of the teacher’s blunt tone wrenched him from his thoughts like a pair of icy cold hands wrapped around his neck.

“...What.” Kaos asked.

A few of the other students stifled a giggle. Kaos swung his legs back and forth in lieu of stopping the other motion, the tips of his shoes barely brushing the tiled floor. The teacher loomed over him, leaning against the edge of the desk. With a drawn out sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, then motioned with long fingers and a turn of his head towards the chalkboard.

“Kaos. If you’ll give us the pleasure of actually joining us,” He began, his voice low and gravelly.

“All right, all right.” Kaos waved him off, looking back down at the page, “Could you repeat the question…  _ please. _ ”

The teacher muttered something under his breath as he scuttled back to the chalkboard. From the torso up, he was a tall, burly man in a wrinkled collared shirt. His features were strong set; with a set of six black eyes and pincers protruding from the corners of his mouth. He had his slick black hair combed over in an attempt to hide the fact that he was already balding. From the hips down, though, was another story. Where his legs should have been was instead the thorax of a spider. Eight long, spindly legs carried him across the floor. Mr. Webster was, by far, the scariest teacher Kaos had ever had. Which was saying something, when he had had to spend an entire semester in ‘Ms.  Alyvia’s’ 9th grade botany class. Even after he had cultivated a batch of snapping ivy (after countless failed attempts) which proceeded to take over the entire greenhouse. And possibly ate one of his classmates. But that was never proven.

And he had had it coming anyway, that beakheaded birdbrain.

“What a surprise. You’re actually on the right page for once.” Mr. Webster drawled as he scratched something down on the chalkboard, “Kaos. Just because you’re a year older than the rest of the class doesn’t mean you can slack off.”

“What’s. The question. Webster.” Kaos repeated, clenching his fists.

Mr. Webster didn’t bother turning around, simply circling a scrawl of text before returning to what he had been doing. Kaos hunched his shoulders with a growl before he leaned forward, squinting. The words seemed to swim together, twirling in an invisible dance. Kaos felt something prickle on the back of his neck, eyes trained on him once again. When he realized he had just been sitting there in silence, mouth hanging open, he righted himself with a shake of his head. When he looked back to the board, the words were in their place, albeit looking like someone had smudged the chalk they were written in. Which dragons do we know originally hailed from the dragon realms. Kaos took no time to think about his answer, like a tape recorder had been switched on within his mind, the information tumbling out of his mouth.

“Is that a trick question?” He scoffed.

Mr. Webster finally looked back, his gaze capable of burning a hole through Kaos’ skull alone. Kaos just continued on with a smirk.

“We have no known recollection of any dragons coming through to our realm. The only reason we even know about the dragon realms is because left by the Benevolent Ancients. Not to mention they were from, like, millions of years ago. For all we know, the dragon realms could have been absolutely annihilated in that time.” He recited, growing more passionate with every word. “Apparently a few Spell Punks have been attempting to create a link between our world and the dragon realms, for their own evil purposes no doubt; but every attempt would end in complete and utter failure-”

“That’s enough, Kaos.”

Mr. Webster cleared his throat. An unimpressed look on his face. Kaos' smirk fell as he looked to the floor, apathy overtaking him. The other students’ stares lingered on him for a moment longer before they returned to their work and idle chit-chat that seemed to fill the air between every word the teacher uttered.

“Despite his… verbose explanation, Kaos is technically correct. There has been no known contact with the dragon realms, other than what’s detailed in the scrolls of old.” Mr. Webster pointed to something he had written down on the board, turning his back to the class. “Continuing from where we left off, yes the High Spell Punks have been trying to open a link, but so have the elusive saviours of Skylands. Who some of you may know as the-”

Kaos didn’t hear any more of Mr. Webster’s speech. Instead, his attention was grabbed by something lodged into his pocket, which was buzzing against the side of his leg. Silently, Kaos pushed his chair back, stuffing his hand into his pocket. Immediately, his fingers came into contact with something rectangular and metal. Something that was quickly heating up. With his heart skipping a beat, Kaos jumped out of his seat and bolted to the door. He skidded out into the hallway and towards the washrooms, not bothering to wait around to gauge how much trouble he was going to be in. That didn’t matter now. Kaos barely felt his feet touch the ground as he wheeled into the boy’s washroom, nearly crashing into one of the stall doors. He pulled it open, slipped inside, then locked it behind him. Kaos quickly yanked the device from his pocket, fumbling to get a hold of it, a few empty vials of ink and loose sticky notes coming along for the ride. He held it up to the whirring fluorescent lights, flipping it open. The device looked to have been made with scrap metal, like the rest of Kaos’ creations, with a speaker set into one end and a keypad on the other. Kaos plopped down on the floor, not daring to sit on the ‘ivory throne’ behind him as he hit the button marked  _ receive. _

“Testing testing, riptideTinkerer to dumbassRacoon. Come in dumbassRacoon.” Dyskord’s voice crackled through the speaker, ebbing in and out every few words.

“We agreed my codename isn’t ‘dumbRacoon’. It’s doomsdayEngineer you uncultured swine.” Kaos hissed into the device. 

On the other end, Dyskord’s laughter came through, heavily clouded in static. “Yeah yeah, whatever ya twerp. You’ll always be my little dumbassRacoon.”

“FOR THE LAST TIME DYSKORD I’M NOT-” Kaos cut himself off, taking a deep breath. “You dunderhead, I no longer resemble a trash panda, so  _ quit _ calling me one.  _ Where are you _ .”

"Just heading to the entrance now, baby brother. And yes, I have the administration device. Per your  _ explicit _ specifications, of course."

"Good. Wait in the rendezvous position and make sure you aren't seen. I'll be there once I've gotten everything in order."

"Any chance you know exactly when that'll-"

Kaos flicked the device closed with a  _ click _ , hearing scuttling footsteps enter the washroom. He held his breath as the sound grew closer, then stopped, followed by the creak of the stall door next to his. The sound of ringing crackled through the intercom, nearly making Kaos jump out of his skin, fumbling with his communicator in a panic before slipping it back into his pocket. Second period had begun. Kaos scrambled to his feet as quietly as he could muster, flushed the toilet behind him (for good measure) then threw the stall door open and dashed out of the washroom. Next was chemistry, one of the only classes he could tolerate, and coincidentally the one class he needed for his plan to come to fruition. Readjusting his scarf, Kaos let a smile play across his face as he joined the other students making their way through the halls. Just a little longer, and soon he'd be rid of this place for good. Just one more class.

Kaos never arrived early to class. Today, he assumed, would be no exception. He would often get lost in the halls, unable to see where he was going through the forest of legs and low hanging backpacks. Just getting carried along by the flow until he managed to arrive where he needed to be. Or everyone else got to their classes and he was left to make a mad dash across the school before the bell rang. Today gave Kaos the added challenge of stopping off at his locker, effectively cutting his time in half. Even with all of that stacked against him, though, Kaos arrived at his science class to find the door closed. Kaos shrugged his backpack to the ground, careful not to let his textbooks spill out onto the floor before he jostled the doorknob. It didn’t budge. Kaos stood up on his tip toes, just barely able to peer in through the small window. The room was empty, all of the lights off. His chem teacher was absent. Again. Kaos groaned, sliding down to sit beside his bag, knees pressed against his chest. He watched other students from his class meandering about; the fawn that sat at the head of the class was reading a book on ‘the flora of the cloudbreak islands’, the ent that sat behind him was picking their twigs (and eating the leaves that fell off like the  _ disgusting deciduous demon _ they were). Countless mabu were scattered around the hall - Kaos was pretty sure they were part of his chem class, but then again they all seemed to blend together. Kaos’ gaze trailed down to his backpack, seeing the glint of his metal lunchbox from between the textbooks jammed into his backpack. Like glowing eyes peering out from a cave, beckoning to him.  _ Tick tick tick tick. _ Kaos looked back to the door, shaking his head. He needed to get in there somehow. It didn’t matter if he got in trouble or not, a little setback would be better than a complete halt of the plan.

Kaos pulled his bag into his lap, rummaging around until he pulled out a small ink bottle, pouring the contents into his hand. Bobby pins spilled out, along with a few spare buttons. Kaos picked out a few bent ones, quickly sweeping the rest back into his bag; he’d reorganize them later. Kaos pushed his bag back into the corner, trying the doorknob one last time before starting to fiddle with the lock. He stuck the bobby pins in, shifting them around as he listened intently. The sounds of the other students faded into the background, idle chatter morphing into the soft clicking of the pins. He squinted, biting his tongue. He could almost see the mechanisms in his mind, like an extension of himself. He just needed one more moment to-

“You know, a key may help with that.”

Kaos yelped, dropping the pins as he whirled around. Standing over him was a tall frost elf, her gaze almost as cold as the air that hung around her. She gestured for Kaos to step out of the way before pulling a bedazzled keyring from her pocket. With freshly manicured nails, she unlocked the door and pushed it open, walking into the nearly spotless lab. Kaos stood against the wall as the other students funneled in, grabbing his bag once again before following after them. He watched the other students settle down, grabbing goggles and lab coats, setting up today’s experiment as the teacher wrote it on the board. Kaos sat down at his table, alone as per usual, already feeling the ent breathing down his neck, despite being two tables down. Kaos felt his head buzzing at the sound of chatter, clinking glass and chalk squeaking against the board as he quickly stowed his lunchbox in the drawer of his desk; the insufferable racket swirling together to make the corners of his vision ripple like water.  _ Tick tick tick tick.  _ Ah, how Kaos would miss it all… not. He wouldn’t shed a single tear when he was free of this place, nor would he think the others would either. He was doing them a favor, if Kaos was being honest. They would all be thanking him, even if he was mostly doing it for himself. No matter, his plan was so close to coming to fruition he could almost taste it. Like a big slice of blueberry pie. Sweet, fresh baked blueberry pie.

“Alright class, get your pencils out. It’s time to start on today's lab.”


	6. The tick, tick... Boom

**K** aos pulled the white rubber gloves up to his forearms, rubbing his hands together before pulling his goggles down over his eyes. He surveyed the beakers and flasks set before him, the same ones as on everyone else’s desks. Clear liquids and purple crystals in petri dishes. This looked to be an experiment Kaos was quite familiar with, and the one he had hoped for today. It was the exact base for the catalyst that he needed. Droppers and scoopulas were set off to the side, along with a handheld mortar and pestle. Kaos looked up to the board, where the teacher was just finishing up transcribing the instructions in fluid cursive. She brushed a permed curl behind her pointed ear, then plopped down at her desk, a book in her hands moments after. The other students had already started following along, immersed in their own little worlds. _Grind the crystals into a fine powder._ Kaos grabbed a handful of shards, dropping them into the mortar. They sounded like wind chimes as they hit the stone bowl, twinkling softly as Kaos used the pestle to grind them down. Well, tried. After a few moments, his hand began to cramp up, the crystals barely having cracked. He huffed, looking around the class. Surely, someone else wouldn't notice if he switched their mortar for his own. Kaos’ gaze came to fixate on the Ent a few tables down from him, their attention captured by the vial of clear fluid they were fumbling with, gnarled hands cracking the glass with absolutely no effort. Kaos’ expression soured, a prickle running up the back of his neck before the vial shattered, liquid splattering over the table and their oaky chest. The teacher looked up as the Ent started wailing, stumbling out from behind their desk and rushing for the door.

“This is the third time this has happened…” Kaos heard the teacher grumble before heading out after the Ent, leaving the class to fend for itself.

Kaos blinked, then hopped down from his seat as the chatter returned to the classroom. That timing couldn’t have been better. Kaos made his way over with mortar in hand, making sure not to be seen. Carefully, he switched the two out, being sure the Ent hadn’t ‘contaminated’ the crystal powder before quickly making a break back to his desk. Now, he could focus.  _ Mix a few drops of activator into the powder. Mix until it forms a paste.  _ Kaos piled the dust into a petri dish, picking out a few leaves before pouring in a few tips of the clear liquid. As soon as it touched the crystals, a plume of smoke curled up into the air. Kaos used his gloved finger to mix the substance around, ignoring the growing heat against the rubber. It didn’t take long for the dust to form into a granular paste. He flicked the extra on his finger back into the dish.  _ Mix the paste in with the rest of the activator.  _ Kaos tipped the paste into the flask, covering his face with his arm to defend against splashback, then began mixing. The clear liquid faded to a pastel purple, bubbling. Now. Now was the time. Kaos took his lunchbox out as the flask frothed, flipping the metal box open to reveal nothing but a napkin and some crumbs. Checking to make sure no one was watching, Kaos pulled on the napkin, removing the bottom and revealing a few thin vials filled with multicolored substances, all tethered to the real bottom of the lunchbox with thick bands of elastic. Kaos first slipped out one who’s contents seemed to pulse and glow with every movement, like lightning coursing across an overcast sky. He popped the cork off, then dumped the entire vial into the beaker, the substance sloshing over the sides a bit as he stirred it in, pooling around the base. Kaos waited for a second, until the static gathering in the air had cleared, then carefully grabbed the smallest vial from his lunchbox. Contained within it was a thick, crimson liquid. The very thing he had spent countless hours toiling over last night. Milking out every last drop of nectar he could muster by the light of the moon. He had spent weeks preparing, tracing their patterns in and out of Mother’s special garden, finding the exact time they were at their most active. The time they produced their best nectar. Beelossoms. A  _ very _ rare breed that cultivated a very flavorful honey, but when unprocessed, the creatures used it as a defense mechanism. One that caused exploding pustules on any living being it was injected into. Kaos couldn’t help but let his hands shake as he popped the vial open, tilting it over the bubbling maw of the flask. He held his eyes open wide, not risking even a blink, holding his breath as to not jostle the substance. He just needed one drop. Just one. Single...

_ Plop _

Kaos pulled the bottle away, shooting his hands into the air in triumph as his grin widened. The muted lavender liquid began shifting to a deep copper. It was at that moment the door flung open; the teacher stomping inside, the sudden arrival causing Kaos to yelp. He bumped the table as the two of them locked eyes, the concoction sloshing over the sides. Kaos’ triumphant grin turned to one of sheepishness, then to one of concern as he noticed the flask frothing and bubbling more than before. Before Kaos could take cover, the liquid erupted into a cloud of coppery dust, flooding the air, the other students coughing and spluttering in alarm. Seconds after, the sprinklers came on overhead, flushing the rust colored smog to the ground. In a panic, Kaos grabbed the flask, covering it with his arm so the remaining liquid didn’t get diluted.

“Apologies, miss, I have to go! I really gotta use the washroom!” Kaos spoke hurriedly as he pushed past the teacher, running out into the hall, the sounds of panicking students and his teacher’s yelling nothing but background noise to his thoughts, rust-colored dust trailing after him as he made a break towards the meeting spot.

“Benevolent Ancients, what happened to you??”

Kaos glared at Dyskord, attempting to wipe the copper dust from his face. His goggles were resting on his forehead, a ring of uncovered skin left around his eyes. His clothes hung off of his frame, drenched from head to toe in freezing sprinkler water and rust-colored sludge.

“Chemistry is a dangerous thing, numbskull. But that doesn’t matter. Did you bring the-”

Before Kaos could finish his sentence, Dyskord threw a small, metal cage to the tiled ground at Kaos’ feet. Like his communicator, it seemed to be constructed of scrap metal and miscellaneous parts. Kaos let a grin creep across his face as he knelt down to pick up, ignoring the harsh, jolting movements it was making. He held the cage up to the light, inspecting its contents. Contained within it was a small, verdant ball of razor-sharp teeth, pink gums, and stubby limbs. Its eyestalks swiveled around as it tumbled around the cage. When it noticed Kaos peering at it, it lunged forward, gnawing at the metal bars between them. Kaos yelped, jumping back, a little bit of liquid sloshing other the lip of the flask. It bubbled and fizzed as it hit the tiled ground, evaporating almost immediately.

_ Click click. _

Kaos looked over, a quick flash of light causing spots to dance across his vision. When it cleared, he saw Dyskord, snickering as he looked over a developing photo, a small camera clutched in the other. It was a camera Dyskord had had since Kaos was little. He remembered Dyskord running around the house, shaggy blonde hair in his eyes and the clicking of the shutters as he filled rolls upon rolls of film. It was a hobby that had slipped to the wayside as the years flew past, but Dyskord always made a point to bring his old, outdated camera along on their little ‘adventures’. Whether it be exploring the grounds behind the castle, an unsanctioned midnight outing to a ‘nearby’ market; or, apparently, to document Kaos’ humiliation at the jaws of a caged Chompy. 

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Kaos hissed, dropping the cage (much to the Chompy’s dismay) and storming over to Dyskord. He reached up, trying to grab the photo from his brother’s grasp. To no avail.

“Oh come on, baby brother. It’s a great candid shot!”

“It’s  _ humiliating _ , you bumbling buffoon!”

Dyskord merely pushed Kaos back, ruffling his hair in the process, chuckling to himself. Kaos snarled, then took a breath, gathering himself together as he readjusted his clouded goggles, shooting one last glare over to Dyskord. He then thrust his hand forward, beckoning for something.

“Your backpack. Hand it over,” Kaos demanded, motioning with his outstretched hand.

Dyskord swung his backpack off of his shoulder, but simply clutched it to his chest like a child would their favorite stuffed toy.

“And let you get your grubby, science-covered prints all over it? No way!” Dyskord stuck his nose in the air. “It’s limited edition!”

“It's a cloth sack you painted on. Quit being a baby and give it to me!” Before waiting for an answer, Kaos set the flask down and grabbed ahold of Dyskord’s backpack, tugging on it with all of his might before it slipped from Dyskord’s grasp, sending both it and Kaos stumbling back. He fell to the ground beside the caged ball of chlorophyll and teeth, not waiting a beat before zipping it open and rummaging around inside; much to his brother’s chagrin. The Chompy rattled around within its confinement, eyes watching as Kaos threw miscellaneous items from the bag. Sheet music, a half drank bottle of water, what once looked to be a sandwich bag but was now full of white and blue fungus, the list went on.

“Could you at least  _ try  _ to be gentle??” Dyskord begged as he dodged a haphazardly thrown wrench, gathering up what he could as Kaos searched the contents of his bag, blatantly ignoring his wishes as he threw a bag of expired ‘timebombs’ at Dyskord’s head. “I don’t treat your toys like this!”

“They’re collectors edition action figures, not toys!” Kaos retorted. “Besides, most of this is garbage anyway. Didn’t Mother already get on your tail about keeping your bag clean? It attracts Greebles!”

“Oh, and the fact that you hid one of their egg sacs in the wall doesn’t?”

“ _ Zip it, fool.” _

Kaos dug his hand into the bag one last time, finally pulling out a small, plastic box with a triumphant  _ a-HA!  _ He draped Dyskord’s bag over the Chompy cage without a second thought, popping the plastic box open and carefully removing what was inside. A crisp looking syringe, the silver tip almost glowing under the buzzing fluorescent lights. Giggling to himself like a schoolgirl, Kaos reached over and grabbed the flask, being careful not to spill any more of a liquid as he balanced it on his knee, priming the needle before dipping it into the substance. He filled it up to about halfway before tapping the end like he had seen done countless times.

“I still have no idea how you got your hands on one of those things,” Dyskord mused as he picked his backpack up, oblivious to the damage the Chompy had managed to do to one of the straps as he slipped the contents back inside.

“Getting detention from the bio teacher has its perks, brother,” Kaos shot a grin towards Dyskord before getting to his feet, his eyes fixated on the shimmering liquid suspended within the syringe. His own formula, his own handiwork, and soon all would bask in its masterful craftsmanship. Kaos cracked the cage open with his free hand, grabbing the Chompy by its eyestalks and lifting it into the air. The Chompy flailed its stubby limbs, snapping at the air with countless rows of razor sharp teeth, thrashing around much to Kaos’ amusement.

“So. Infodump to me again. This stuff is supposed to do what exactly?”

“It’s quite simple really.” Kaos cleared his throat as pulled his glove up his forearm, only for it to slip down again almost immediately. “I, KAOS, have created an ingenious formula, taking the natural properties of Blazing Beelossom nectar and the secretion from sea dwelling thunderslugs found only in the dark depths of-”

“Layman's terms, Kaos. We don’t have all day.”

“I mashed two highly dangerous goops together with some powder to make a boom boom liquid.”

“Smartass.” Dyskord puffed, crossing his arms. “What I don’t understand is, like, why do we need the little bugger? If it’s ‘boom boom liquid’, why not just spill it and let it do its work?”

Kaos snickered, pressing the tip of the syringe against the side of the Chompy’s bulbous head, causing it to freeze in place, simply dangling there as its eyes fixated on the needle. “Because, my idiotic brother, it only reacts when in contact with a living organism. The serum is dangerous on its own, yes, but not  _ explosively  _ so _.  _ See, if my theories are correct, this concoction should latch onto the living organism on a molecular level, causing a chain reaction which should, if my calculations are correct, cause it to spontaneously combust. Now, this is no regular spontaneous combustion, oh no-”

“Spontaneous combustion is a usual thing?”

“Hush. Let me finish.” Kaos inserted the syringe as he spoke, the Chompy squealing like a chew toy, before falling completely still, like a fawn caught in the headlights. Absentmindedly, Kaos pressed down on the plunger, the liquid draining into the Chompy, its verdant flesh starting to fade into an apricot orange as it filled with the deadly chemical. “As I was saying before you so  _ rudely  _ interrupted me, within half a minute for a creature of this size, its molecules will begin to ‘vibrate’ to an extent where they can no longer hold themselves together, causing the creature to  _ explode  _ like a living atomic bomb!!”

Kaos cackled, then paused, catching himself before it got too loud. He looked over to Dyskord, whose expression had become sunken, the corners of his mouth twitching as he eyed the Chompy. Kaos managed to soften his maniacal grin, pulling his mind back to reality.

“Though, eh, the effect is less potent the smaller the creature it latches onto. Which is why we’re using the ‘humble’ Chompy. Big enough to cause some damage, but not enough to, you know, completely demolish the entire island.”

Dyskord didn’t take his eyes off the Chompy hanging from Kaos’ grasp, which had begun to bubble, blisters forming on its squirming skin, the syringe hanging from the side of its head. Kaos followed his gaze, his heart stopping.

“...how long did you say it takes for the ‘boom boom juice’ to kick in?”

“Thirty seconds, approximately.”

“How long have we been talking?”

Kaos glanced to the nonexistent watch on his wrist. “...I’d say around twenty, twenty five seconds, approximately.”

“So. We’ve got ‘approximately’ five seconds to ditch the living death sentence and hightail it outta here?”

“I believe so, yes.”

Kaos looked back to the Chompy, who had begun to drool, steam curling off of the dribble. He tried to peel his hand from the eyestalks, the flesh stretching and clinging to the rubber glove like orange putty. Kaos held back a gag as it flopped to the ground, then staggered to get up, his mind grinding to a stop as the Chompy gazed up at him. Then, it clicked.

“Wait. Oh fu-”

Before Kaos could finish his sentence, the Chompy burst apart in a blast of blinding light, engulfing everything around it.


	7. (name pending)

_ Tick tick tick… _

The dulled colors of the world swirled together as Kaos forced his eyes open, squinting to try to make out the blurred shapes against the blinding sky. He lifted his head off of the ground, rubbing his temples as the blood roared in his ears. A deafening, rhythmic beat pounding through his skull. Kaos pushed a fallen beam off of his chest, coughing as dry, dusty air flooded his lungs, scratching at his throat like thousands of tiny claws. His vision lagged as he looked around, slowly processing what he saw. Walls toppled revealing their inner workings. Bits of steel plating and banisters were laying haphazardly around, the ceiling now open to the cloudy sky above. He… he had done it?? Frantically, Kaos felt himself over, making sure he was still in one piece, before he let out a sigh of relief. By the Ancients’ mercy, he was alive.

“Kaos? Kaos!!”

In a flash, Kaos was scooped up off of the ground, his feet dangling as a battered Dyskord squeezed him tightly. Kaos coughed, almost immediately trying to push away from his brother’s grasp.

“Hey, hey! You’re gonna crack my ribs again, idiot!” Kaos cried, trying to sound as angry as he could despite the grin curling across his face.

Dyskord set his brother down, a strained laugh escaping him. He looked even more disheveled than usual, open cuts littered his olive skin, bruises already starting to bud; but then again, Kaos probably didn’t look much better himself. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Kaos surveyed the damage he had caused, his eyes seeming to glow like the embers that floated through the air. The silence in the air, the still of the grounds, it was all so… beautiful.

“We did it.” He spoke softly at first, waving his hands in small, back and forth motions. “I… I did it! YES!  _ YES!! _ ” Kaos didn’t care who in the Skylands heard him. This was his moment. This was his time. 

The euphoria felt like bubbles in his stomach fizzing up into his brain, bursting into sparkles of pride. This must've been what Mother felt like at Mey’s sheepball practices or when Dyskord graduated: pure, unadulterated glee. He couldn't help but cackle, throwing his hands into the sky in triumph. Dyskord, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be as enthralled, his wry smile starting to fall. Kaos followed his gaze to the edge of the island, where the students had gathered (as they did during every emergency evacuation), huddled together. Kaos could almost see the looks of terror on their faces, students and staff members alike quaking in fear at his absolute, ingenious might. He was practically bouncing up and down at the thought, but instead he paused, squinting to try to make out a shape along the horizon. A shape that looked like it was barreling towards them. Kaos’ heart sank as he watched the figure lumbering over the wreckage, rage practically radiating off of them. Mr. Webster.

“I- I think I hear Mother calling.” Kaos tugged on Dyskord’s sleeve, not daring to take his eyes off the behemoth. “We-We’d better go…”

“Y-Yeah. Heh.” Dyskord turned his head to the side and called out, “B-Be right there, Mother!”

“Oh, don’t worry. Your mother  _ will _ be hearing about this.”

A large hand grabbed a hold of Kaos’ arm, a squeak escaping his open mouth. His limb looked like a toothpick compared to Mr. Webster’s tight grasp. Kaos gulped, his eyes trailing up from the hand, Kaos immediately began batting at Mr. Webster’s hand, kicking and squealing like a frightened pig as the principal lifted him up off of the ground. Kaos tried to worm his way to freedom, albeit to no avail. He had come too far. Too far to lose now. It wasn’t fair.

“So, Kaos...” Mr. Webster snarled, “Anything to say for yourself?”

“ _ SCREW YOU! _ ” Kaos squealed. 

With his free hand, he threw a wild punch at his teacher. Kaos’ fist rebounded off the side of his gaunt face, causing nothing more than irritation and a throbbing pain through his frail hand. Kaos recoiled, whimpering as he tried to shake out the pain, Mr. Webster’s only reaction was a mere eye twitch. Without another word, he began walking back through the wreckage, carrying the flailing Kaos at arm’s length away from him. Dyskord held back, wondering how easy it would be to leave Kaos behind and feign innocence over the whole situation, before finally grunting to himself and running after his brother. If living with his brother was Hell already, he _ really _ didn’t want to know what it would be like if he got on Kaos’ bad side.

“Care to explain yourself?”

Kaos sat on what used to be a chair; the back had crumbled into scrapwood and the legs were nowhere to be found. The principal sat across from him on the other side of what used to be his desk, which was now simply a lump of blackened char. Dyskord stood in the only remaining corner of the principal’s office. Kaos had to admit, he preferred the more ‘open’ look the room had now. Not that he had much time to admire it. His gaze was locked in a staring contest with the Principal’s one, bloodshot, eye. Yes, eye. The principal was a Cyclops. Ever since his first day of school, Kaos had found it a bit odd. Cyclopes were known for terrorizing villages with axes, giant snowballs and Slobbering Mutticuses; not running a school. Though, to be fair, both  _ were _ bent on conquest. The principal folded his massive, blubbery hands in his lap, mucus green skin prickled with beads of sweat. His general demeanor was held in contrast with the suit he always wore, the buttons of his top threatening to pop as they kept his rotund body compressed. Mr. Webster stood at attention next to the door, which was somehow still standing, despite most of the wall having crumbled down around it. He didn’t dare take his beady, black eyes off of the brothers.

“Well, I thought the school needed a bit of redecorating.” Kaos snickered, trying to maintain his nonexistent cool. “More open architecture is all the rage these days.”

“Enough jokes. This is a serious matter, Kaos. You put people’s lives at risk.”

“...would you believe me if I said it was an accident?”

“Of course it wasn’t an accident! I told you, Odius, this child is nothing but a troublemaker. He should have been expelled when he set that one kid on fire!”

“That wasn’t my fault! Besides, genasi are fire proof. It’s not like the ‘damage’ was permanent.”

“You little bugger, only  _ fire _ genasi are immune to fire!” Mr. Webster hissed, “They were a  _ life  _ genasi!”

“...oops?”

Behind him, Kaos heard Dyskord slam his face into his hands, groaning. Kaos shot him a quick glare, then looked back to the principal with a forced smile. The principal clearly wasn’t impressed with the scene, a frown on his slack jawed face. Mr. Webster, in contrast, looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, the right side of his face twitching.

“Boys, do we need to consult an… outside force on this matter?” The principal said coolly.

“No! No no, there’s no need.” Kaos waved his hands, jumping to his feet. “I’m sure we can sort this out!”

“Y-Yeah!” Dyskord chimed in, his tone dripping with panic. “We  _ really  _ don’t need to concern her. She’s a very busy woman-”

“DON’T YOU  _ DARE _ BRING HER INTO THIS!!”

“ENOUGH!” Webster snapped, slamming his fist against the door. Only for it to fall off its hinges and hit the ground with a  _ thud,  _ sending up a plume of dust. Mr. Webster pointed to what remained of the secretary’s office. “Boys, out, NOW.”

Kaos muttered something under his breath as he turned on his heels, storming out of the room. As he passed Dyskord, he grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, dragging him along. As Kaos plopped himself down on the cluttered floor, he stared out at the wreckage, now littered with students trying to find some semblance of their material goods. Kaos clutched his own backpack to his chest as he began chewing on his nails. His mind wandered until he felt the sting of his teeth against his fingertip, the dry taste of his nail mingling with the dirt that was tucked beneath it. Before he could move onto the next finger, Dyskord swatted at his hand lightly to grab his brother’s attention, then shook his head. Kaos huffed, curling up around his backpack. He could hear the principal talking, not to Webster, but someone else; saying things like, “Yes, yes,” “Sorry for the inconvenience,” and “Thank you ma’am.”

Kaos buried his head into his knees, trying to think of some way, any way, he could possibly get out of this in one piece. His brain felt like a jumbled mess of wires all tangled around him, the cold embrace of dread forcing its way down his throat. _ Typical _ . Even when he finally succeeded at something,something always had to mess it up; and Ancients knew the calamity that he just lived through would be nothing compared to the calamity that he was  _ about _ to live through. Kaos didn’t know how much time had passed as he got lost in his thoughts, but he looked up at the sound of heels tapping against the floor, quickly approaching. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Shooting a quick glance at Dyskord, the two brothers heard the principal speak up once again.

“Ah, Mrs. Horvitz. Pleasure to have you here.”

“You’re in  _ deep _ trouble now, mister!”

The castle doors were thrown open as Mother stormed inside, dragging Kaos by the ear. Her angular face was contorted in a familiar scowl, lips pursed and gaze steely enough to make even the strongest of dreadwalkers cower in fear. Kaos yelped as she swung him forward, falling to his knees with a  _ thud _ . Dyskord peered around the corner, making sure to keep his distance, letting Kaos take the brunt of their mother’s fury for the time being. 

“What were you thinking!?” Mother cried, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the foyer, pulling Kaos to his fee, her slender fingers clasped around his arm. “Blowing up your school!? Honestly, Kaos! I would have thought you would have learned your lesson after last time you pulled a stunt like this!”

Kaos stared up at his mother, practically petrified. She let go of his arm, resting her gloved hands on her hips. Even when she wasn’t positively irate, she had an air of anger about her that couldn't be shaked. Perhaps it was her angular features, or the constant frown she wore no matter the occasion.

“What was it last time?” Dyskord asked, bracing himself.

“I tried to flood the gymnasium,” Kaos said nonchalantly before turning his head to face his mother once more, “But, Mother!  _ This _ time was different! I-”

“Actually succeeded.”

Kaos nodded enthusiastically, grinning.

“That’s not a good thing, Kaos!”

Kaos smile quickly fell. Mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She bore a look that mirrored one you’d give a partially dead roach. She finally let go of her son’s arm with a sigh, turning away.

“You know what. You’re filthy. Head upstairs and get yourself cleaned up. I’ll deal with this later when the entire family can talk it over…””

“Wait, the  _ entire _ family? Is Father coming back?” Dyskord had already been halfway up the stairs, attempting to make his escape, but this news made him stop and look back.

“Yes, Dyskord. Your father will be joining us for dinner...” her voice dropped to a mutter, “...if he’s not late  _ again _ ... So I expect you both to be cleaned and presentable!”

Dyskord gave a thumbs up, then dashed the rest of the way up the stairs, leaving Kaos to fend for himself. Kaos turned, taking a step towards the stairs, only to be stopped by his mother’s hand on his shoulder.

“I expect you’ll behave yourself tonight.” His mother said, a bitter edge to her voice.

Kaos brushed her hand away, sighing. “Yes, Mother…”

Not waiting for her to say another word, Kaos dashed up the stairs, nearly on all fours, and into the washroom at the end of the hall, slamming the door behind him.

Kaos let the hot water run over his body, his head tilted to the sky as the water plastered his hair to his head. His mother had been right, he was completely filthy. Dust and dirt covered virtually every inch of his body. The cuts and bruises he had received from the explosion needed to be cleaned too; dirt, grime and dried blood nestled within them. Kaos picked shards of shrapnel from his skin, taking extra care around his birthmarks, before taking the pieces he had collected and coaxing them into a small, glass bottle he had grabbed; a trophy of sorts, to remind me of his near victory.

Kaos ran his fingers through his hair, catching them on the countless tangles as he attempted to clean the coating of grime and oil it had gathered. The soap Kaos was using ran down his scalp and into his eyes, immediately beginning to burn. Kaos scrunched his eyes closed and frantically began shaking the soap off of his hands, the suds pooling at his feet. This soon became frantically trying to wipe the soap from his eyes, tears trickling down his cheeks as the burning reduced to a dull stinging. He cursed under his breath, kicking the wall of the shower in frustration. Kaos just seemed to have the worst luck today. 

Kaos couldn’t help but wonder what he did to deserve this, what sin he had committed that cursed him with such horrid luck. At least that Ancients-forsaken place was finally gone, but that was only one problem solved out of the many more he had to face. Kaos sighed quietly as he turned off the water, letting the cold soak back into the bathroom from beneath the closed door. With the absence of the rushing water, Kaos could now hear Dyskord getting his lecture from all the way downstairs. Mother’s shouts were unmistakable; the usual ‘how dare you enable him’ and ‘you’re better than this’ sort of verbal chastisements that seemed to be commonplace. Dyskord was getting let off easy, as always. A quick slap to the side of his head, then sent to bed without dessert. Not another word on the matter. It was nothing compared to what Kaos normally went through. Even the slightest step out of line and Mother would have his head. At least it was nicer than Father’s usual punishments…

Kaos shook his head, beads of water flying everywhere. He knew he should dry his hair off in the towel, but he didn’t feel like it. This was much more fun. Once his hair was only slightly damp, Kaos grabbed his bathrobe off of its hook and slipped it on. It was a few sizes too big for him, but he liked it nonetheless. He tied his scarf around his waist to hold the robe in place, then slowly opened the door to the hallway, just as Mother was finishing up her lecture. He paused, grabbing onto the railing and standing on his tip toes as he tried to hear even a sliver of the discussion, but he was too late. Sighing, he pulled the bathrobe tighter around himself, then headed for his room, trailing dripping wet footsteps on the carpet. He could hear his mother’s heels on the hardwood downstairs, heading to the kitchen, the sunset filtering through the clouded windows signalling it was time to start cooking dinner. And for him to get dressed in something ‘presentable’, as Mother put it. With a huff, Kaos pushed the door to his room open, then froze.

“What are you _ doing?! _ ”

Meyhem looked up from where she was sprawled on his bed, an old leather-bound notebook held open in her outstretched hands. At the sight of Kaos, she dropped in her face, then sat up with a grin, her hair falling in front of her wild, blue eyes.

“Mother’s ma~ad,” She giggled, pulling at the drawstrings of her oil stained hoodie.

“That doesn’t answer my question, idiot!”

Kaos ran forward, making sure to keep his robe closed with one arm as he attempted to climb the ladder to his bed. Meyhem just laughed, grabbing the book before jumping over her brother and landing on the ground. Kaos screamed, losing his balance and toppling down on top of her, more to his detriment than hers. Meyhem simply scurried out from underneath him and made a beeline for the door. Kaos pushed himself up on his forearms, blowing his bangs out of his eyes just in time for Meyhem to chuck the book back at him, the edge of the spine colliding right between his eyes.

“Oops!” Meyhem giggled, poking her head back into the room, “Sorry, little brother!”

“I’m not  _ little _ !” Kaos cried, rubbing the point of impact to try and nurse the oncoming headache. “I’m older than you!!”

Kaos forced himself to his feet as Meyhem ran back to her room, her giggles lingering in the air. Kaos grumbled under his breath, then slammed his door shut, resting his head against its surface. He just couldn’t catch a break, could he. Once he was sure she wouldn't be returning for a surprise attack, Kaos plopped himself down under his loft, looking over the book to make sure no damage had become it. More than it already had, of course. Kaos ran his fingers over the leather cover, feeling the marks he had etched into his surface to mark it as his own before flipping it open. A few pages had been torn out, and some of the loose ones were missing, but that would be an easy enough fix. Meyhem was conniving, but she wasn’t necessarily the best at hiding things. Throwing a quick glance to his window to check the time, Kaos pulled out a quill he had stashed off to the side and flipped to a blank page. It had been a while, but without another outlet, it was the best he could do.

Dear  diary journal… of DOOM!!

Entry #108: Uhg. Yes. I am starting this stupid thing up again. Mother told me if I needed to vent my emotions, to do so into this book and not to the people around me. HA! What does she know? You can’t get the same feeling out of pounding the end of your quill into manufactured, thin sheets of the pulp that you get when pounding the end of your quill into someone’s fleshy, unprotected skin. But, Mother says that’s  _ ‘not allowed’ _ so, this is the closest thing I can get. Cue the collective sigh of exasperation. Ah well. At least I can take pleasure in knowing one of those bark-covered beasts was vanquished so that I could write out my ‘feelings’. Bleh.

On the topic of feelings, I  _ feel  _ like I deserve to get away with today’s plot. But alas, apparently Mother doesn’t care about my feelings as much as she wants me to believe. Because rather than congratulating me on a well-earned success, she UTTERLY HUMILIATED ME! And the worst part? It seems my ‘stunt’ has brought home Father, for once. Or it’s simply a coincidence. But I’m inclined to believe it’s my doing. Perhaps he’ll be pleased with my actions, though I highly doubt it. He’s worse than Mother. But you already know that, journal.

Here’s something that you may not know, though! Toady, the all powerful Kaos, made a fri e----

Kaos’ hand jerked to the side as his door was slammed open, the ink from his quill creating a long, splotchy line across his page. Kaos growled, then slammed his book closed. He craned his neck to see who had the audacity to disturb him before dinner was even ready. Sure enough, Meyhem stood in his doorway; now dressed in the closest thing she had to something ‘fancy’, a pair of silken pajamas.

“What is it now, Mey.” Kaos huffed, hoping with all his might that Meyhem wouldn’t answer and he could go back to venting his emotions.

“It’s time for dinner!” Meyhem giggled, then tossed a wad of crumpled-up paper at his head. It rebounded off of his skull, rolling across the ground. He looked down at it, recognizing the parchment his journal was made of, then looked back up at Mey.

“It’s not. Go away.”

“Yeah it is!” Meyhem climbed under the loft, plopping down beside him on the pile of laundry. “Mother said so.”

“Then why don’t I smell it?”

“Cause your nose is dumb.”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

Kaos couldn’t help but crack a smile, reaching up and ruffling Meyhem’s choppy, black hair. She scrunched down, beaming wide enough to show the gap where her front teeth should have been. She was a pain, that was for certain, but she was a pain Kaos was willing to put up with.

“How was school~?” Meyhem asked a cheeky grin on her face.

“Har har. Shut up.” Kaos rolled his eyes as he climbed out from under his bed, making his way to the ladder

“Mother told me you got in an accident! Is that true? Did you die?”

“Mey, don’t you have chores you need to do?” Kaos looked back with a wry grin as he put his journal back in its place, beneath his pillow. Luckily, Meyhem hadn’t messed up too much of his bed layout, so he didn’t need to spend hours getting everything back into place.

Meyhem paused, tapping her chin. “I can’t do my chores right now, it’s dinner!”

“Then maybe you should go help Mother by setting the table, hm? After all, we want everything to look good for Father when he-”

“Father’s coming back tonight?? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I didn’t know until-” 

Before he could finish his sentence, Meyhem had already ran out of the room, leaving Kaos alone once again. He sighed, hopping off of his ladder from the final step. It was at that point Kaos finally smelled it. The _ ‘ _ succulent’ aroma of charred meat and blanched vegetables - the Horvitz family specialty. Kaos’ nose twitched, his stomach doing a summersault at the thought of tolerating such slop. What he wouldn't give for some decent food.

Throwing one last glance to the hall, Kaos began to get dressed in the ‘fanciest’ clothes he could find; black slacks and a wrinkled, collared shirt that was two sizes too big. The most effort he was willing to put in for his dad. As he stepped out into the hall, Kaos wrapped his scarf around his shoulders like a shawl, then paused as the sound of heavy-handed knocking cut through the quiet of the castle. His heart sank.

“Dyskord, be a dear and fetch the door. I do believe he’s here.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I've been sitting on for years and am now finally getting around to editing and finishing it! If you like what you see so far, please consider commenting or even critiquing it, I'm looking for all the help I can get if I'm being honest-


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